Poor communication and inadequate testing crippled an Explorer Program mission.
By Bryan Fafaul and Kerry Ellis
In This Issue
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Highlights: Issue 45, Winter 2012
WIRE: Learning from Failure
Interview with Bryan O’Connor
NASA’s former chief of Safety and Mission Assurance talks about understanding risk and the risk of complacency.
By Matthew Kohut
Building the Future Spacesuit
Led by MIT engineers, a multidisciplinary team is designing a new kind of spacesuit.
By Dava Newman
Stories
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Getting Cozy with Our Closest Star
Observations from NASA science missions are helping scientists solve mysteries of solar physics.
By Holly R. Gilbert -
Juno: A Look Back at Successful Development
The team developing this mission to Jupiter focused on reducing risk.
By Jan Chodas -
Managing Canada’s Contribution to the James Webb Space Telescope
The Canadian Space Agency has built two essential instruments for JWST.
By Karl Saad -
Building the Future Spacesuit
Led by MIT engineers, a multidisciplinary team is designing a new kind of spacesuit.
By Dava Newman -
“What Works” Luncheon
Knowledge sharing over lunch at Goddard.
By Maureen Madden -
WIRE: Learning from Failure
Poor communication and inadequate testing crippled an Explorer Program mission.
By Bryan Fafaul and Kerry Ellis -
Something to Shout About: Bloodhound Supersonic Car
The project attracted young and old engineers and engaged thousands of students.
By Haley Stephenson
On the Cover
On August 1, 2010, almost the entire Earth-facing side of the sun erupted in activity from a C3-class solar flare, a solar tsunami, large-scale shaking of the solar corona, radio bursts, a coronal mass ejection, and more. This extreme ultraviolet snapshot from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows the sun’s northern hemisphere in mid-eruption. Different colors in the image represent different gas temperatures ranging from about 1 million to 2 million degrees kelvin.
Photo Credit: NASA/SDO
> Read MoreInsights
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The Importance of Human Factors
Moving from a technical to a managerial job, the author learned to value a healthy working environment.
By Alessandro Ercolani -
Interview with Bryan O’Connor
NASA’s former chief of Safety and Mission Assurance talks about understanding risk and the risk of complacency.
By Matthew Kohut -
Exploring Science with NASA
Stiff competition ensures that missions chosen by the Science Mission Directorate will deliver valuable results.
By Paul Hertz -
Hands-On vs. Hands-Off Project Management at ESA
Depending on circumstances, strict agency oversight of projects can be necessary or counterproductive.
By Bob Chesson -
Lessons from Lincoln
Leaders and managers can learn from this story of the great president’s pragmatism and openness.
By Roger Forsgren